GREENVILLE – For the first 12 minutes of last Wednesday’s regional tournament game, Vandalia was in complete control against Greenville.

But once the Comets began to break the Vandals’ pressure and transition better on defense, they began to chip away at their 10-point deficit, eventually taking an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter that was too much forVandalia to overcome in a 62-59 loss.

The St. Elmo High School boys basketball team is the only area team remaining in the Illinois High School Association playoffs after it defeated No. 1 Altamont, 47-42, on Wednesday to advance to the regional championship game.

St. Elmo, a No. 4 seed, will face second-seeded North Clay in St. Elmo on Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Area players left in the 3-point shootout are: Connor Beasley and Garrett Buzzard of St. Elmo, Harley Steed and John Rickman of Mulberry Grove, Johnnie Clift of Patoka, and Andrew Snow of South Central.